In order to efficiently perform downlink traffic channel signaling in a wireless communications system, where a base station communicates with a plurality of wireless terminals, situated at different locations with different channel conditions and different levels of interference at any given time, it is beneficial to support a large number of data rate options for downlink traffic channel segments. Typically, in wireless communications systems supporting multiple downlink traffic channel data rate options which may change on a segment to segment basis, the data rate option for a given segment is uniquely identified in a field of an assignment signal corresponding to the downlink traffic channel segment. However, as the number of supported data rate options increases, the number of bits required to be dedicated in the assignment signal to uniquely indicate the assigned rate option increases, representing an undesirable increase in overhead.
In view of the above discussion, it would be beneficial if new methods and apparatus allowed for the supporting of a large number of downlink traffic channel data rate options, yet limiting the amount of overhead used to convey data rate information. Methods and apparatus that are flexible and that facilitate different coding and/or modulation techniques to convey the data rate option of a downlink traffic channel segment would be beneficial.